Rutgers welcomes the first three STRIDE scholars from the Philippines for the Fall 2014 semester. These three students, Micaela Cristina Perlada, Arlan James Rodeo and Peter Immanuel Tenido are part of the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program here at Rutgers. The university is a partner in a five-year, $32 million project though a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) grant. The grant, USAID Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE), focuses on economic development, science and technology investment and training of young scientists in the Philippines.

The Rutgers component is led by Mark Robson, professor of plant biology and pathology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and dean of agricultural and urban programs. According to Robson, the Rutgers portion includes the development of 10 Professional Science Master’s program in the Philippines as well as assist in training 55 young Filipino scientists who will come to the U.S. for the Master’s in Business and Science (MBS) degree.

Rutgers has one of the largest PSM programs in the country. The STRIDE partnership includes the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), Rutgers, Florida State University and the University of Michigan. Rutgers will welcome a fourth student, Richard Licayan, in October. Licayan is a doctoral candidate and will spend a year at Rutgers as a visiting scientist in Prof. Jim Simon’s lab at SEBS.